A Thai surrogate mother raising a Down syndrome baby who was abandoned by his Australian genetic parents said Tuesday she would be happy to have the baby’s twin returned.

The Thai woman, Pattaramon Chanbua, carried the twins for the commissioning Australian couple who have denied they knew about the Down syndrome baby and are currently raising his twin sister. Ms Pattaramon was paid £6,400 to carry a child for the couple.

She is especially concerned for the baby girl’s welfare because of reports that the father is a convicted sex offender.

According to the Irish Times, the babies’ surrogate or birth mother said “I want her back because she is my baby. She was in my womb.”

While she had previously said she was happy to have the twin girl stay with the Australian parents, the reports about the father’s past have raised doubts in her mind. Australia’s Nine Network television has reported that the father is a convicted paedophile, and police officer told the Associated Press that the father is a convicted sex offender.

“Personally, when I heard the news I was shocked but I can’t say anything much right now,” she said, adding that she would “leave it to the law” to see if she can get the girl back.

She said she was motivated by what was best for the baby girl.

“If she is happy, then I, as a mother, am also happy. I don’t want to bring her back to suffer or anything. A mother would never want her child in trouble,” she said. “But if she really cannot go on living there, then I’m very happy to have her back in my arms.

She said she will never hand over to the Australian couple seven-month-old Gammy, who was born with a congenital heart condition as well as Down syndrome: “Never. Not in any way.” Ms Pattaramon resisted pressure from the genetic parents to abort Gammy after he was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome in the womb.

The Irish Government’s upcoming Children and Family Relationships outlaws commercial surrogacy although in practice it still leaves the door open for couples or single people to hire surrogate mothers overseas in countries like India and Thailand.

Under the proposed new law it is unclear whether a couple in Ireland who asked another woman to have a baby for them under a non-commercial arrangement could refuse to accept the baby after it is born.

Many European countries ban surrogacy outright in all in its forms because of the many ethical difficulties it creates.